The present invention concerns a method for the continuous measurement of the wear of a tire. The invention also concerns an element of a tread pattern for a tire which is provided with means to enable continuous measurement of the wear of the element during the rolling of the tire over a rolling surface, a tread comprising the element, and a tire comprising the tread. The invention also concerns a fitted assembly for an automobile vehicle, and such a vehicle which comprises means for measuring the wear of the tire continuously and in real time.
It is known to provide devices for detecting wear of the tread patterns of tires for automobile vehicles.
German Patent DE-A-197 45 734 (see FIGS. 2 and 3 thereof) discloses a tire whose tread comprises in its mass a plurality of metallic wires which form electrically conducting loops that extend respectively to different heights within a pattern rib of the tread, and which are connected to a detection circuit underneath the rib. During the rolling of a vehicle fitted with this tire, these loops are broken one after the other to form open switches and the detection circuit delivers a signal representative of these breaks to an evaluation unit present in the vehicle.
A major disadvantage of this wear detector is that the wear is detected discontinuously because it is a function of the number of loops successively broken (i.e. the number of open switches).
Another disadvantage of this wear detector is that it seems very difficult for a person engaged in the field to manufacture it in a precise manner.
In the context of the present description, the “fixed part” of a vehicle will be understood as the chassis of the vehicle and the suspension rods, as opposed to the “rotating parts” which include the wheels, tires and hubs.